Thanks for the Memories
by psycho-rag-doll
Summary: The day has finally arrived; the moment of truth deciding whether Shawn can continue to be Susie's guardian. Read testimonies from those closest to them, and await the decision of the judges. Will Shawn and Susie's lives be torn apart? Please read/review!
1. Judgment Day

When Shawn woke up, there was a knot in his stomach. Today was the day. He pulled himself out of bed and checked a calendar that was lying on the floor, just to make sure. Yup, it was finally here. Judgment day.

Just then, Shawn's cell phone rang. He picked it up and said, "Hello?"

"Good, you're up," said Gus on the other end. "You remember what today is?"

"Tuesday?"

"Shawn."

"I know, I know. Judgment day."

"When did you tell Susie that we'd pick her up?"

Shit. "Um, I've been thinking of just surprising her."

"Shawn, you are unbelievable."

"Thank you."

"I'm coming to get you and then we'll go get Susie. You might want to call her to give her a heads up. We can't be late for this."

Shawn made a noncommittal noise as he hung up. Today was going to be a long day.

Fifteen minutes later, Shawn opened the door to the Psych office. Walking in, he saw Susie curled up on the pull out couch.

'Huh,' thought Shawn. 'I didn't know the couch pulled out into a bed.' He walked around to face Susie. She looked so innocent, and had a small smile on her face. She was going to look different in a few minutes when she heard what today was.

"Hey, Susie," Shawn said. "Time to wake up."

Susie groaned slightly and opened her eyes slowly. "Shawn, what the hell?"

"Good morning, Sunshine!" said Shawn. "What say we go out and have a little family bonding?"

"Going to city hall isn't exactly a 'family bonding' thing, if you ask me." said Susie.

What? She knew? "What are you talking--"

Susie propped herself up on her elbows. "Shawn, I know what today is."

"Tuesday."

"Don't play stupid. Talk like that could get us into serious trouble today."

Shawn nodded slightly as Susie got out of bed and went to go get some clothes.

A few minutes later, Susie appeared again. This time, she was dressed. But not like anything that Shawn had ever seen. Susie was wearing a white button-up shirt and a plain brown skirt. She had left her hair down, with a simple pearl clip in the back. Her make-up was simple, with just a thin line of black on her lids and a faint gold eye-shadow. She looked so grown-up.

Susie leaned against the doorframe to slip on plain black shoes. And that's when Shawn saw the flash of hot pink from her leggings.

"Nice tights," he said. "They really accentuate the outfit."

Susie stood up and walked over to Shawn. "Yeah, well. Couldn't look completely unlike myself, could I?" She looked up at him. "Ready?"

"You look nice, though," said Shawn.

"Thank you," said Susie. "You look…. mature." She opened the door. "But looking the part's only half of it."

"Meaning?"

Susie turned to Shawn. "Shawn, usually your boyish face and nature doesn't interfere with your job or personal life. If anything, it helps it. But today," Susie shook her head. "Today, please behave. Act like the responsible adult I know you are."

Shawn nodded. "You think I have a boyish face?"

Susie turned and got into Gus's car. Shawn did the same. And the three drove to city hall in silence.

Gus pulled into a guest parking space and the three got out. Walking inside, they signed the guest log, received guest badges and were directed to the fourth floor.

Upon stepping out of the elevator, they were greeted with a strange site. Sitting on the wooden benches on either side of the hall, were all familiar faces. Lassiter, Juliet, the Chief, and….

"Dad?" asked Shawn. "What are you doing here? What are **any** of you doing here?"

"We were requested by the judge to be here," said Juliet. "He wanted us to come and answer some questions regarding the situation."

"In a case like this, they usually contact those closest to the involved to 'testify' if you will." said Henry.

Just then, the elevator pinged and the doors slid open and out stepped Monica. "Am I late?" she asked.

"Monica? Why…. How…. What….." Susie stammered.

"Mr. Gustor called me and told me what was going on."

"Seeing as your parents are in jail, I figured there should be someone close to you to speak to the judge." said Gus.

"Your parents wouldn't have anything nice to say anyway," Monica said.

Susie nodded and began to absentmindedly twist her ring around her finger.

Shawn noticed and whispered, "You okay?"

Susie nodded again. "Yup," she said, taking a deep breath. "Terrific."

"We're going to be fine." Shawn said.

"Susie, I love your leggings," said Jules. "Very stylish."

"Thanks," said Susie, smiling slightly. "I got them at Wal-Mart."

Shawn looked at Gus's watch. Nine a.m. sharp. Then he heard footsteps coming down the polished hall. The group of eight turned as a portly man walked up. He was dressed in a sharp charcoal suit and black shoes as shiny as the waxed floor. He held a briefcase in one hand, and a clipboard in the other.

"Good morning," he said, his deep voice sending a rumble through everyone's core. "I am Judge Blacksprial, and I will be residing over today's matter of guardianship, along with two other colleagues of mine. What will happen is we'll call each of you into our room and ask some questions. The rest of you will be kept in separate rooms, so you don't have a chance to compare stories. Any questions?"

The group was silent, staring at the judge.

"Good," he said, glancing at the clipboard. "The first person we'll talk to is a Ms. Monica Smith."

Monica gave Susie's hand a squeeze, and stepped forward. "Excellent," said the judge. "Paul here will show the rest of you to your waiting rooms."

The group looked behind the judge to see a security officer standing up straight, holding his head high.

The judge and Monica walked down the hall while security guard Paul led the rest of the group the opposite way into small rooms.

Judgment day had begun.


	2. Monica

Monica sat in a regular metal folding chair. Across from her, Judge Blacksprial and his two assistants sat at a table covered in papers, folders and glasses of water.

"So," the judge said. "What is your relation to either Mr. Spencer or Ms. Morrison?"

Monica cleared her throat. "Susie and I have been friends since we were born."

"Close friends?"

"Practically sisters."

The three adults scribbled something on the notepads in front of them. "She tells you all the important things that go on in her life?" asked the lady sitting to the right of the judge.

"And most of the unimportant things, too. I've been with her through thick and thin."

"Such as?" asked the man on the left.

Monica thought for a moment. "I've been there for minor things, like picking out shoes for the school dance, which Susie hated anyway. And I've been there for major things, like her parents' divorce."

"How did Ms. Morrison handle the divorce?" asked the judge.

"It was hell," said Monica. "Susie could stand her parents, to put it politely. But when they started fighting all the time, she… broke." Monica looked at the floor. "She already spent loads of time at my house. When the fighting started, she practically lived with me."

"So she took it pretty hard."

Monica nodded. "I thought she was getting better, once the divorce was finalized and her parents lived in separate houses. Sure, she hated her mom. But at least she could live in her own house again. But then when she found the body…."

"If Ms. Morrison hated her mother, then why didn't she just move to live with her father?" asked the woman.

"Because her mother was the better part of the deal. What Susie felt for her mother was doubled towards her father."

Scribbles. "Once the body of Ms. Morrison's mother's boyfriend was found, by Ms. Morrison, that's when Ms. Morrison got in touch with Mr. Spencer, is that correct?"

"Yeah," Monica said. "He solved the case. And after the police arrested her parents, Susie had to get her stuff together and get ready to go to the Children's Service, because they couldn't find another relative for her to stay with."

"I see." More scribbling. "What is your impression of Mr. Spencer?"

"He's…." Monica paused. What** did** she think of Shawn? "He's the best thing for Susie."

"How so?"

"He's not her parents." The three adults looked at Monica, waiting for her to continue. Monica sighed. "When Susie started hanging around Shawn, even when working on putting her parents in jail, she got this… light about her. I'd never seen her like that." Monica smiled slightly. "She was happy for the first time in what seemed like ever."

"Do you have any reason to think that Mr. Spencer puts Ms. Morrison in danger?"

"No."

The judge waited for Monica to elaborate. Seeing that she wouldn't, he wrote some notes down.

"Is there any reason to suspect that there may be any physical abuse in this relationship?" asked the other man.

"Shawn would never hit Susie."

"We don't just mean physical contact, though that is a major part of this," said Judge Blacksprial. "We also mean starving, neglect, etcetera."

"As if."

"How do you find the situation of Ms. Morrison working for Mr. Spencer?"  
"It's done her good." Monica said, almost defensively.

All three adults paused upon hearing Monica's tone. They looked at each other, and then at Monica. They were rewarded with a small frown.

"Look," Monica said. "The fact is, Shawn loves Susie. He's done more for her than anybody else, including her parents."

The woman cleared her throat. "Do you feel that there have been any… sexual experiences between Mr. Spencer and Ms. Morrison?"

"Sexual experiences?" asked Monica. "You mean, is Shawn banging Susie?"

The woman grimaced slightly. "Yes."

Monica was caught off guard. Were Shawn and Susie messing around? It was possible. 'She **did** say she liked Shawn,' Monica thought. 'And she shied away from my question of if Shawn wasn't her guardian….'

"Ms. Smith?"

Monica looked at the three adults, staring, waiting for her answer so they could scribble notes down on their yellow legal pads.

'This is the happiest I've seen Susie in a long time,' Monica reminded herself. 'I can't screw this up.'

"No," she said. "And I think you're all twisted to think such a thing, let alone ask such a question."

"Ms. Smith, we're merely trying to make sure--"

"I know **exactly** what you're trying to do," said Monica, anger showing in her voice. "You're trying to ruin a girl's life. You're trying to take away the one thing that makes her the happiest. Don't you think she deserves to be happy, after all the crap she's had to put up with over the years?"

The three adults were in stunned silence. The man opened his mouth to say something.

"Don't you?" asked Monica through gritted teeth.

The man closed his mouth and looked at the other two people on his side of the table.

Judge Blacksprial looked at him, and then at Monica. "Thank you, Ms. Smith. You can go now."

Monica glared at the three, and then stood up. She walked to the door and threw it open.

A few seconds after she slammed the door shut, the judge pressed a button on the intercom box on his desk. "Paul, please bring Mrs. Vick in."


	3. The Chief

Karen Vick sat across from the three judges at the table. This was a strange experience, being on this side. She was used to being in a seat of authority.

"Mrs. Vick," Blacksprial said. "What is your relation with Mr. Spencer or Ms. Morrison?"

"Mr. Spencer had assisted the Santa Barbara Police Department solve numerous cases for the past three years. His father worked on the force before that."

"You are the Chief of Police, are you not?"

"That's correct."

"So, you bring Mr. Spencer in on cases. Do you believe he is responsible?"

"Responsible? Yes. He might not look it, but he has done some of the most impressive, if not interesting detective work the department has seen in years."

The judges took down a note or two on their pads of paper. "Mrs. Vick, were you involved with the case regarding Ms. Morrison's parents?" asked judge number one, the woman.

"Yes," the Chief said. "I'd been working on all the unsolved homicides that they had been responsible for. I was also involved in some matters involving Susie before hand."

"You are referring to Ms. Morrison's arrest record?"

"I don't know if I would call it that."

"Then what **would **you call it?" asked judge number three, the other male judge.

The Chief narrowed her eyes slightly. "I would call it an unstable woman accusing her daughter for something **she **had done."

The judges shifted glances at each other, then scribbled something down. "You said that Mr. Spencer was responsible in a professional sense." said Blacksprial. "But what about in a personal sense?"

With a slight look of disgust, the Chief said, "What Mr. Spencer chooses to do in his spare time has **nothing **to do with the department, and therefore, not my business."

"What we mean, Mrs. Vick, is do you believe Mr. Spencer is responsible enough for himself and Ms. Morrison?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have let her stay with him during the case with her parents, nor would I have given Mr. Spencer the forms for the probation period regarding Susie."

"Do you have any reason to think that there may be any physical abuse between the two?"

"Not in the least."

"Do you feel that Mr. Spencer may be… neglectful of his duties regarding Ms. Morrison in any way?"

"Hardly. Almost every time Mr. Spencer comes down to the station, Susie's with him. And I've seen them out in public together, even when not involved with a case."

"Together?"

"In the same sense that we are together in this room." the Chief said, annoyance present in her voice.

"What exactly does Mr. Spencer do while he is at the station?" asked Blacksprial, wanting to get away from the previous subject.

"He is either receiving information about a case from Detective O'Hara, Head Detective Lassiter, or myself. Or he is sharing information with us."

"And what about Ms. Morrison? What does she do?"

"She waits patiently."

"She has helped with previous cases, has she not?"

"Yes," Karen said. "Susie has assisted Mr. Spencer with his cases. She's actually been very helpful, according to Mr. Spencer."

"Do any of the cases put Ms. Morrison in any sort of danger?"

The Chief thought about the cases that Shawn had taken while Susie was around. There were the multiple homicides involving her parents, the case of the missing drummer, and the multiple homicides of the pregnant woman, not to mention any cases that Mr. Spencer had taken from the public. There was always the possibility of danger in police work. "If there was any danger, I believe that Mr. Spencer would put himself ahead of Ms. Morrison in order to keep her safe." said the Chief.

"And if this was to happen, and Mr. Spencer wasn't able to take the hit, do you believe that he would do all in his power to care for Ms. Morrison?"

"Of course."

"What if the tables were turned?"

"Meaning?"

"If Mr. Spencer got injured, do you think he might… rely on Ms. Morrison to return to his health?"

'What does this have to do with anything?' the Chief asked herself. "I think that he would try to get by on his own, and Susie would volunteer to help."

The judges scribbled something down. "Is there any reason for us to worry about Mr. Spencer being… under the influence of anything and harming Ms. Morrison?"

'Didn't I already answer this in a different form?' thought the Chief. But she thought about it. There was **always **the possibility… "Mr. Spencer is an adult. I believe he knows his alcohol tolerance."

"We're not only concerned about alcohol, Mrs. Vick," said judge number three. "What about drugs, prescription or otherwise?"

"I do not allow anyone using drugs to work for me," the Chief said defensively. Her crew was clean. How dare these blue collar office workers say or even **hint **otherwise?

The judges looked at each other. This was becoming heated. The sooner they finished, the better. "Do you feel that there are any… deeper relations going on in this situation?" asked judge number one.

The Chief kept a calm composure, even though on the inside she was caught off guard. "No, I do not." she answered. "Mr. Spencer knows better than to do any such thing."

"So are you saying that there might be more feeling than appropriate, just not being acted upon?" asked Blacksprial, leaning forward.

"What I'm saying," the Chief said, anger rising in the back of her throat like bile. "Is that Mr. Spencer cares for Susie more than her parents probably ever did, and he would do nothing to hurt or lose her."

The room was silent. The judges had underestimated the Chief; she was quite intimidating when angered.

"One more thing," Blacksprial said, clearing his throat. "In your opinion, do you feel that Mr. Spencer should be allowed to remain Ms. Morrison's guardian?"

"Fully."

"Thank you, Mrs. Vick. You are free to go."

The Chief stood and walked out the door.

"Two down," said judge number three. "Six to go."

Blacksprial hit the intercom again. "We're ready for Detective O'Hara."


	4. Juliet

Juliet was nervous. She didn't know why, but she was. She also felt **huge **responsibility- like, it depended on what **she** said that determined whether Susie got to stay with Shawn. Was that selfish? Great, now her conscience was going to get on her about that… 'Come on, O'Hara,' she thought to herself. 'You can do this… You've handled harder cases… just tell the truth and everything will be just fine.'

She was led into the room, and the door was shut behind her. She seated herself as the judges shuffled some papers.

"Detective O'Hara," said judge number three. "What is your relation to either Mr. Spencer or Ms. Morrison?"

"Shawn's helped me on a **lot** of cases," Juliet said, remembering all the times Shawn had gotten her out of sticky situations, like when Alice Bundy was going psycho bitch in that old building, Wispy Sunny Pines.

"How long have you been on the force?"

"Three years."

"And before that, you were employed in Florida, is that correct?"

"That's right."

"You're partnered with Detective Carlton Lassiter?"

"Yes."

"Were you involved in the case with Ms. Morrison's parents?" asked Blacksprial.

"Yes. We were called to the home of Mrs. Morrison when she made the 911 call."

`"Mr. Spencer allows Ms. Morrison to work on the cases he receives, is that correct?"

"Yes, the two of them, plus Gus, have worked on a few cases for the police department during the past two weeks."

"Do you think these cases could put Ms. Morrison in any sort of danger?"

Juliet thought. "I'm sure Shawn would keep Susie out of something if he thought it was dangerous for her."

"But what if something **did **happen to Ms. Morrison?"

"Like what?"

"Say that Ms. Morrison was working on a case with Mr. Spencer, and something happened, perhaps a brawl with a suspect, and Ms. Morrison got injured." said judge one. "Do you think that Mr. Spencer would help Ms. Morrison get better?"

'Um, duh?' thought Juliet. "Definitely ." she said. "He loves Susie, and if something happened to her, I think he would stop everything else to help her." 'He might even try to perform surgery on her,' Juliet thought.

The judges took down some notes. "From what you've seen," said judge number one. "Do you believe that Mr. Spencer is fit to be the legal guardian of Ms. Morrison?"

Juliet paused. Shawn was one of those people she could never see settling down and starting a family, unfortunately. 'Wait, why is it unfortunate?' she asked herself. This case was messing with her head. Or was it? 'Stop,' she told herself. 'Just answer the question.' "Yes, I do." she answered.

"Have you ever seen any signs of any form of abuse between Mr. Spencer and Ms. Morrison?"

"No. Well, I mean, they call each other names and stuff. But as far as any physical abuse, I can't see either of them hurting the other."

"They call each other names?"

"Shawn's been known to act a little immature at times," Juliet said, laughing slightly. "They're just like each other."

"What kind of names? Something that could be taken the wrong way, perhaps?"

"No, nothing like that. Usually just childish stuff, like 'stupid' or 'dumb-ass' or 'bald porcupine'."

'Bald porcupine?' thought the judges. These people certainly were… strange, to say the least.

"Do you think Mr. Spencer is… neglectful of his duties, especially those concerning Ms. Morrison?"

"No, he takes really good care of her." Juliet thought for a moment. "It's almost like she **is **his own…"

The judges looked at each other. "Detective O'Hara, do you think there is a… deeper relationship between Mr. Spencer and Ms. Morrison that what you've said?"

"What?" asked Juliet, somewhat startled. "No, of course not. Why…."

"Just trying to cover all bases." said Blacksprial.

Juliet sat in silence, trying to make sense of what the judges had just asked. It was such an awkward question….

"Detective O'Hara, we have just one last question," said Blacksprial. "In your opinion, do you believe that Mr. Spencer should be allowed to remain guardian of Ms. Morrison?"

"Without a doubt."

The judges wrote down Juliet's final answer. "Thank you, Detective. You're free to go."

Juliet stood, and let herself out of the room.

"Send in the Head Detective," Blacksprial said into the intercom.


	5. Lassiter

'Finally,' thought Lassiter as he was led down the hall. 'I can get this over with and get back to work. Why'd the Chief have to make me come down here anyway? I don't even like Spencer or the girl…'

Lassiter walked into the room and sat down. He would simply tell the truth and get out of here as soon as possible.

"Detective Lassiter," said judge one.

'That's **Head** Detective,' Lassiter thought to himself, biting his tongue.

"What relation do you have to either Mr. Spencer or Ms. Morrison?"

Lassiter cleared his throat. "I have worked with Mr. Spencer for about three years."

"Your partner is Detective O'Hara, correct?"

"Yes."

"Do you feel that Mr. Spencer has been a help to the Santa Barbara Police Department?"

"Yes." Lassiter said with a grimace. He may not like Shawn, but there was no denying that he'd help crack many cases. 'Cases that **I** could have solved,' Lassiter thought.

"What about Ms. Morrison?"

"What about her?"

"Has she helped solve cases for the department?"

Lassiter thought. She had helped put her parents behind bars, which was a little strange. And even though her name had been in that drummer's suicide note (twice!), she had helped close that case. And then there was still the image of her sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a hideous maternity shirt over a pregnancy stomach calling out to him 'Uncle Carlton!' burned into his mind. That case had been closed with her help too. "Sure," said Lassiter.

"What do you think of Mr. Spencer being Ms. Morrison's guardian?" asked Blacksprial.

"They make quite a pair."

"Do you feel that Mr. Spencer makes a good guardian?"

"He… has his moments."

The judges looked up. "Meaning what?" asked Blacksprial.

"Look, I'm not the biggest fan of Spencer or the girl, but…"

"But what?"

"I think he's… good for her."

The judges made note, probably of Lassiter's hesitation. "Detective, do you feel that there is any abuse between Mr. Spencer and Ms. Morrison?"

"No. And I have a feeling that if Spencer **did** take a swing at the girl, she'd be able to take him."

"How do you mean?"

"She's tough. And Spencer… well, let's just say that he may be quick but… hell, I don't know."

There was a pause as the judges looked at Lassiter and then each other. "Detective, do you feel that this… whatever you're calling it… weakness, so to say, of Mr. Spencer's could cause him to put Ms. Morrison in danger?"

"What?"

"Say that Mr. Spencer and Ms. Morrison were on a case, and there was a run-in with a dangerous person or persons. Do you feel that Mr. Spencer would be able to protect Ms. Morrison, or put her in a position of danger?"

"I'm sure Spencer has enough common sense to tell Susie to stay in the car or something if it was truly dangerous for her." 'Not that'd she'd listen,' Lassiter thought. 'She's more stubborn than Spencer. Just one more reason they're perfect for each other…'

The judges wrote down a few things from Lassiter's statement. "Detective, do you feel that Mr. Spencer has been neglectful of his duties towards being Ms. Morrison's guardian?"

"Are you kidding?" asked Lassiter. "They go everywhere together. He's almost clingy with her, he takes such care for her."

"That's an interesting choice of words, Detective." said Blacksprial.

"Meaning?"

"That word. 'Clingy'. It's often used when referring to a… couple." Blacksprial looked at Lassiter with a beady eye and leaned forward. "You know, a couple in a relationship."

"I know what you mean by 'couple'." Lassiter said, anger rising. Just because he wasn't in a relationship at the current moment didn't mean he was unaware of the meaning of the word.

"Do you feel that there is a deeper relationship between Mr. Spencer and Ms. Morrison?"  
Lassiter tried not to laugh in the judges' faces and throw up at the same time. Spencer? And the girl? In a 'relationship'? How gross. "Spencer's not that stupid."

Blacksprial raised his eyebrows. "Do you think that there are feelings that Mr. Spencer and Ms. Morrison are not acting upon?"

"No!"

The judges sat there, looking almost smug at Lassiter. They were really ticking him off. 'Just ask the damn questions,' he thought to himself. 'The more time I spend here, the more time any number of felons could be getting away with crimes.'

The judges looked at each other, having a conversation without words. Finally, they turned their stares back to Lassiter. "Detective, we have just one more question," said Blacksprial. "In your opinion, do you think that Mr. Spencer should be allowed to remain Ms. Morrison's guardian?"

Lassiter thought. If he answered no, he could possibly be rid of the girl forever. But then if she left, Spencer would probably be miserable, and more unbearable than normal. And if he said no and Spencer was still allowed to be the girl's guardian, it would have been for nothing. Not to mention, what if Spencer found out? No doubt he'd try to get some weird sort of revenge….

Lassiter took a deep breath. "Yes," he said, trying not to grit his teeth too much.

Blacksprial nodded once. "Thank you, Detective Lassiter," he said. "You are released."

Lassiter stood up and stalked out of the room.

"Please send in Mr. Gustor," Blacksprial said into the intercom.


	6. Gus

Gus looked at his watch. He'd been there for little over an hour. How long was this going to take?

He opened the door and walked in. The judges sat at their table, turning to a new page on their legal pads. Gus took a seat and waited for the judges to begin their questioning.

"Mr. Gustor," said judge number one. "What is your relation to either Mr. Spencer or Ms. Morrison?"

Gus paused. It was strange to hear Shawn referred to as 'Mr. Spencer'. In Gus' mind, Mr. Spencer would always be Shawn's dad. "Shawn and I have been friends since we were in grade school."

"And you two are business partners now, correct?"

"Yes, we co-own Psych."

"And how long has this business been around?"

"Roughly three years."

"And you've worked there for all three?"

"Yes."

"So you were there when Mr. Spencer first became acquainted with Ms. Morrison?"

"Well, technically, we first became acquainted at the police station. But yes, Shawn dragged me from my other job that day."

"What job was it that Mr. Spencer took you out of?"

"I work at Central Coast Pharmaceuticals."

The judges took note of this. "Do you think that Mr. Spencer has been a good guardian for Ms. Morrison during the past two weeks?"

"Well, I personally never saw Shawn as the father type. But he's done a pretty good job."

"Why did you never think of Mr. Spencer as the father type?"

"Well, he's not always the most mature or responsible. And I never saw him settling down." Gus said. Then he realized how that must sound to the judges. "But he's very responsible when it comes to Susie." That was more or less the truth.

The judges wrote something down, hopefully not something that would cause problems due to Gus' answer.

"You spend a lot of time with Mr. Spencer?"

"Yes."

"What about Ms. Morrison?"

"Well, she's usually around with Shawn and me."

"Have you ever seen any evidence that there is any sort of abuse between Mr. Spencer and Ms. Morrison?"

"No. I mean, they have little hissy fits sometimes. But nothing serious."

"'Hissy fits'?"

"Small arguments involving name calling and other immature things."

"And what are these arguments about?"

Gus laughed slightly. "What **aren't **they about?" he asked. "Both of them have to get the last word in. They argue about what suspect is guilty, what the weather will be like, which 80's actor had the best hair…"

The judges looked at each other with puzzled looks. These people certainly were strange. "Mr. Gustor, do you feel that Mr. Spencer has been neglectful of his duties towards Ms. Morrison in any way?"

"Are you kidding? The day Shawn got the papers for the probation period, he rushed out and bought vegetarian-friendly foods for Susie. And he looks out for her all the time." Shawn might have his faults, but neglect for Susie wasn't one of them.

"Do you feel that he is responsible enough for the permanent guardianship of Ms. Morrison?"

Gus thought. There were moments that Shawn was irresponsible. But Gus knew Shawn tried his hardest when things involved Susie. "Yes." he said.

"Do you believe Mr. Spencer is in a good enough financial position to take care of Ms. Morrison?"

"We have a case almost every week. Sure, we've hit some dry patches, but what business doesn't?" Gus said. "Shawn has a pretty stable bank account."

"Do you work with Mr. Spencer on all the cases he takes?"

"For the most part." 'Sometimes I may not want to, but Shawn drags me along anyway.'

"What about Ms. Morrison?"

"She's worked on all the cases we've gotten since she's been with us, including the one that she came to us for help on."

"Would that be the one regarding her parents?"

"Yes."

The judges took a moment to write a few items down. "Mr. Gustor, do you feel that these cases put Ms. Morrison in a dangerous position?"

Gus thought. He supposed there would always be **some **amount of danger in the cases they took. "Shawn knows how to protect Susie if something really dangerous was going to happen." At least, Gus **hoped **Shawn would protect her. Usually Shawn just ran away….

"And what if he isn't able to protect her?"

"What are you asking?"

"Should Ms. Morrison get injured in some fashion, do you believe Mr. Spencer would do his best to take care of her?"

"Of course. Shawn cares a lot for Susie. He even tried to 'fix' her face when she came to us after her mother had thrown things at her."

"Do you think that would ever happen in the current situation?"

"What?"

"Do you think Mr. Spencer would ever throw things at Ms. Morrison, attempting to harm her?"

'Didn't we already cover the abuse thing?' Gus thought. "No. Like I said, Shawn loves Susie."

"Does Mr. Spencer have a temper?"

'What the hell?'

"What we mean is, suppose Mr. Spencer got upset. Would he take his anger out on Ms. Morrison?"

Gus had never seen Shawn get angry. Sure, he could get mad, especially when arguing with his father, but never angry. And Shawn had never lashed out at anyone. If anyone were to lash out, it'd be Susie. Gus didn't want to admit it, but he was a little scared of her. But he was pretty certain that she would never hurt him or Shawn. Not intentionally at least. "No," Gus found himself saying. "Shawn doesn't lash out at people."

The judges wrote something down. "How do you feel about the living arrangements that Ms. Morrison is provided with by Mr. Spencer?"

'Considering it's an office, pretty damn good,' Gus thought to himself. "They're nice."

"Better than what she had with her parents?"

"Five times."

"And does she get enough… privacy?"

"Of course. We're only there during the day."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, we don't really have any need to stay there all night. I mean, there have been times in the past when Shawn and I have pulled an all-nighter, but--"

"Mr. Gustor, are you saying that Ms. Morrison doesn't stay in Mr. Spencer's house?"

"Apartment."

"What?"

"Shawn lives in an apartment. And no, Susie stays at the office." The judges stared incredulously at Gus. "What?" he asked. "Our office could have easily been a one story house. Besides, Susie chose to stay there."

The judges looked at each other. A young girl living in an office? "You say Ms. Morrison **chose **to live in an office?"

"Yes. She said that it felt comfortable to her." Gus decided to drive the point a little further. "Besides, would it really be best if Shawn **forced **her to live in his apartment?"

The judges considered silently. "Speaking of forcing things," Blacksprial said. "Have you seen any evidence of a deeper relationship between Mr. Spencer and Ms. Morrison?"

Gus was stunned for a second. Was the judge really implying….?

"What I mean is, do you think Mr. Spencer might love Ms. Morrison a little more that what's appropriate?"

"No. That's… no."

"So you're absolutely positive that they haven't had sexual relations?"

The other two judges looked at Blacksprial. He was pushing farther than they had with the others.

Gus' eyes widened slightly. "Yes." he said.

"Do you think Mr. Spencer would ever force Ms. Morrison to do anything like that?"

"Not even if he was stone-cold drunk. Which he never is." said Gus. These judges were starting to creep him out. What was with these questions?

"We have just one last question, Mr. Gustor."

'Finally,' thought Gus.

"In your opinion, do you think Mr. Spencer should be allowed to remain Ms. Morrison's guardian?"

"Yes. He's done a better job in two weeks of caring for her than her parents ever did."

The judges took note. "Thank you, Mr. Gustor. You are free to go."

Gus stood and walked out of the room. For some reason, his knees felt slightly weak.

"Paul, please show the elder Mr. Spencer in."


	7. Henry

Henry had always imagined having to sit in front of a judge for something involving his son, but nothing like this had ever crossed his mind.

"Mr. Spencer, when did you first become acquainted with Ms. Morrison?"

"Shawn brought her to my house the day she'd come to him wanting help proving she didn't kill her mother's boyfriend."

"Your son brought Ms. Morrison to your house?"

"Yes. Shawn felt that it was the safest place for her at the time."

"And what did you think of the arrangement?"

Henry thought. "It was better than her being with her mother."

The judges made note. "Mr. Spencer, are you proud of your son?" asked Blacksprial.

'What does that have to do with this?' thought Henry. He thought about all the things that had happened since Shawn had been born. He never made life boring for Henry. And sure, Shawn had gotten into his fair share of trouble. And no, Shawn had never gone into the police force as Henry had hoped. And he hadn't held a steady job before this scam of being a psychic detective. But Henry had to admit that Shawn did a pretty damn good job of solving cases. Sure, he came to Henry a little too much sometimes, but who didn't need help every now and then? "Yes," he finally answered.

"Do you believe that your son is a good guardian?"

Henry had always hoped Shawn would settle down and start a family, once he straightened out a bit. When Shawn first brought Susie over, Henry had been a little wary of Shawn watching over her. But he'd watched how Shawn had adapted to a father-like roll. And Susie seemed a hell of a lot happier with Shawn than she had that first day he met her, when she was still legally under watch of her parents. "Yes," he answered. "He cares for Susie more than her parents probably ever did."

"So you feel your son is responsible enough to be a full-time guardian?"

"Yes. He watches out for her and makes sure she's happy and has everything that she needs."

"Would you say you play an important part in Ms. Morrison's life now?" asked Judge One, after making a note.

Henry considered. "That depends on your definition of 'important'. And I suppose you'd have to ask Susie if I play an important part." Henry paused. "I mean, I'm definitely in her life. Every week, Susie and Shawn, and usually Gus come over for dinner. And Susie comes over to do laundry. She repays me by making cookies or a cake or something. I told her that wasn't necessary, but she insisted." Henry smiled a little. "She certainly knows how to bake."

The judges looked at each other. Cookies in exchange for laundry?

"During these weekly visits, have you ever seen any evidence of abuse between your son and Ms. Morrison?"

"Well, they have the occasional spat. It usually ends with Susie smacking Shawn in the arm."

"She hits him?"

"Nothing too serious."

"Would you say she's stronger than your son?"

"She's won a few arm wrestling matches."

The judges looked at each other, and jotted down a few notes. "Mr. Spencer, do you feel that your son has ever been neglectful of his duties regarding Ms. Morrison?"

"No. He cares for her more than anything. He does whatever he can for her. And he's always conscious of the fact that Susie's a vegetarian. Every week, when I call him to remind him about dinner, he tells me to remember that Susie doesn't eat meat."

"Do you feel that your son is in a good enough financial state to be her permanent guardian?"

"Yes. And if he ever needed a loan, he'd pay it back."

"Mr. Spencer, you served on the force for quite some time, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"And you're aware that your son now works alongside the police department?"

"Yes…."

"And that Ms. Morrison has worked with your son and Mr. Gustor during the past two weeks?"

"Yes," Henry said. He'd run into Shawn a couple times when he was working on a case, and Susie was always right next to him. "My son has said she's a very valuable asset to his 'team'."

"Would you say it's smart for Ms. Morrison to be working with your son?"

"She wants to pull her weight."

"What we mean is, do you feel that the cases put Ms. Morrison in danger?"

Henry snorted inwardly. "Every job has a small percent of danger involved. Police work is just a little higher, percentage-wise."

"But do you feel that if the situation arose, your son would do everything in his power o protect Ms. Morrison?"

"Yes. Shawn would never intentionally put Susie in a sop that was dangerous. And if she **did** get injured, he would do everything to help her get better."

The judges paused, caught off-guard that their next question had been answered without their asking it. They made note of what Henry had said.

"What do you think of the living arrangements Ms. Morrison has?"

"They aren't too bad."

"You are aware that she's living in the office where your son conducts his business, Mr. Spencer?"

"Yes."

"And you're okay with that?"

Henry leaned forward slightly. "I offered Susie to stay at my house. She could stay in Shawn's old room, just like she did during the case involving her parents. But she said she didn't want to be a bother. And the office is where she wanted to stay. And she's cleaned it up a bit, making it a bit nicer. It's very livable."

"Wouldn't you feel better if Ms. Morrison was actually living with your son?"

Henry sat back and thought. Shawn's apartment was in a good enough neighborhood, but so was the office. And Shawn's apartment was somewhat small. No, the office was the better choice of the two. "Susie's happy in the office. And I think it's better for her there than in Shawn's small apartment."

Blacksprial wrote something down. "Mr. Spencer, your son cares for Ms. Morrison very much, doesn't he?" Henry nodded. "Have you ever gotten a feeling that they care a little too much for each other?"

Henry narrowed his eyes. What exactly was this jerk-off suggesting?

"What I mean is, have you ever noticed any signs of a sexual relationship between your son and Ms. Morrison?"

"No." Henry said, with perhaps a little more force than necessary.

"Do you feel that your son would ever force Ms. Morrison to do--"

Henry jumped to his feet, knocking the chair over behind him. The metal clanged against the concrete floor as his hands hit the judges' table, making a ripple in the water in the glasses.

"Don't you **ever**," Henry growled. "Accuse my son of something like that." He glared at the judges.

Judges One and Three looked a little nervous, while Blacksprial stared at Henry. With no trace of fear, he said, "One last question, Mr. Spencer." The air was tense. "In your opinion, do you believe your son should be allowed to remain Ms. Morrison's guardian?"

"Absolutely." Henry's eyes still had fire in them.

Blacksprial nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Spencer. You may leave now."

Henry straightened. With one last glare towards the judges, he turned towards the door and left.

Judges One and Three looked at Blacksprial. They were scared. Blacksprial calmly hit the intercom button. "Bring in Ms. Morrison."


	8. Susie

Susie sat in front of the judges. This was it; her life would never be the same. Her happiness with Shawn could be ended in a second. She realized how nervous she really was.

"Hello, Ms. Morrison," said judge One in a voice that was easily noted as 'faux-friendly'. "How are things?"

'My life as I know it could be snatched out from under me, sending me to some foster family if I'm lucky, always wondering "what if?". But other than that, wonderful.' Susie thought. "Okay," she said.

"How has your time with Mr. Spencer been?"

"Better than my time with my parents."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because it's true."

"So you were unhappy with your parents?"

'Duh.' "Yes."

The judges made note. "How is it that you became acquainted with Mr. Spencer?"

"He first introduced himself to me when I was leaving the police station after being taken in thanks to a call from my mother saying that I had broken into my house. The next day, I went to his office for help."

"Because you had found your mother's boyfriend murdered, correct?"

"Yes. And my mother was blaming me."

"And it was during this time that Mr. Spencer took you to his father's house?"

"He felt it was the best place for me at the time."

"And was it?"

"I was away from my mother. I would've stayed in a jail cell if it meant I would be away from her."

The judges took note, possibly of Susie's hatred towards her mother. "What do you think of Mr. Spencer's father?"

"I love him. He's like the father I never had."

'Father?' thought the judges. "So then what do you consider Mr. Spencer?"

Susie thought. "The annoying older brother we all wish we had." She said with a small smile.

"Are you saying that Mr. Spencer isn't mature enough to be guardian of your?" asked Blacksprial.

'That's a hell of a leap,' Susie thought. "Shawn's mature. But he also knows how to have fun." 'Sometimes he just blurs the line between the two.'

"And he's responsible?"

"In my opinion."

"How do you like living in the office?"

"It's nice. It's big enough for me to live comfortably, yet small enough that I don't feel out of place. And it's giving me a chance to live on my own for a bit."

"Wouldn't you feel more comfortable in Mr. Spencer's apartment?"

"Not really. I don't want to impose."

"He's your guardian."

"That doesn't mean that he has to change his whole lifestyle for me. He's happy with his bachelor pad. I chose to live in the office. And I see Shawn every day for extended periods of time."

"You go to Mr. Spencer's father's house to do laundry, correct?"

"Yes. I go once a week. And in return, I make him a dessert of some sort."

"You also go to Mr. Spencer's father's house once a week for a 'family meal'?"

Susie nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Those dinners are when I feel like I actually have a family."

"You're happy with your life with Mr. Spencer, aren't you?"

Susie nodded again. Being with Shawn was…. well, it was what she always felt she was missing. Shawn cared for her. He watched out for her, but wasn't overbearing. He was a little over-dramatic at times, but he always made her laugh. The past two weeks were the happiest weeks of her life.

"And financially, you're taken care of?"

"Shawn gives me thirty dollars a week. I tell him that I don't need it. He says that it's my 'paycheck' since I work with him. But I think that living in the office is payment enough."

"The thirty dollars is enough to get you by from week to week?"

"More than enough. I hardly ever have to buy food, due to the weekly meal at Mr. Spencer's house, and the leftover carry-out food from Shawn and Gus. Sometimes, when I have a little extra money, I slip it in Shawn's jacket pocket."

"You give the money back?"

"Occasionally."

The judges wrote this down. "Don't tell him, please." Susie said. "I don't want him to know." 'Even though he probably already does.'

"But wouldn't Mr. Spencer already know, due to him being a psychic?" asked Blacksprial.

"Psychics don't work like that. They aren't mind readers; they're sense things. They see what they see and nothing more."

"Hm," Blacksprial said to himself. "Tell me, Ms. Morrison. What is it that you do to contribute to the work of the psychic detective?"

"Whatever needs to be done. Research, tracking down suspects, undercover work….."

"Decoy work?"

"If it needed to be done, I'd do it."

"These cases can be kind of dangerous, can't they Ms. Morrison?"

"I suppose." Susie said with a shrug.

"Do you ever get scared on these cases?"

'Yes.' "No."

"You don't? I sure would."

'Well, I'm not you, thank god.' Susie thought. "Look, Shawn and Gus get spooked easily," 'Gus especially.' "Someone's got to keep a cool head. We all look out for each other, give each other moral support and such."

"Do you think Mr. Spencer would ever put you in a dangerous position on purpose?"

"Never."

"Ms. Morrison, if something was to go wrong on a case and you got injured, do you believe Mr. Spencer would care for you the best he could?"

"Of course," Susie said. "And I would do the same for him and Gus." 'Of course, Shawn would no doubt take the 'nurse back to health' thing too far…' Susie suddenly got an image of Shawn in a nurse's uniform in her mind. It was awkward, mostly because Shawn pulled it off. Somewhat.

"Ms. Morrison, you're going to be a senior in high school this year, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to continue working during the school year?"

"I was planning on it." 'Catching murderers is more important than calculus. I'm not Charlie Eppes.'

The judges made note. "Ms. Morrison, have you ever felt… uneasy around Mr. Spencer?"

"No."

"Has he ever hit you?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"I think I'd remember."

"Have you ever gotten the feeling that Mr. Spencer has been… sexually attracted to you?"

"I'm not his type."

"So you aren't in a sexual relationship with him?"

"Absolutely not."

"Or Mr. Gustor?"

"No."

"Does Mr. Spencer drink, Ms. Morrison?"

"He occasionally has one or two."

"What about mind-altering drugs?"

"No. He doesn't even smoke cigarettes."

"Ms. Morrison, I'm going to weave a little story for you," Blacksprial said.

Susie sat back and crossed her arms. "Go for it."

"A young man goes to a bar. He's had a tough day at work. His best friend's ignoring him, and he hasn't had sex in a few days, due to his girlfriend breaking up with him." Susie's eyes narrowed. Blacksprial continued. "The young man orders a beer. And then another. And another. And another. After a few hours, he stumbles from the bar stool to his car. He drives back to the office, where a young female worker is still working. He sexually assaults her." Blacksprial leaned forward. "This story happens more than you know, Ms. Morrison."

Susie's stare was cold. "Shawn would never touch me." she said. "And he doesn't get drunk." 'Or own a car. But that's beside the point.'

"Are you sure, Ms. Morrison?"

"Are you calling me a liar?"

Blacksprial's mouth turned up at one corner. "One last question, Ms. Morrison. Do you want to stay with Mr. Spencer?"

"More than anything."

"Thank you. You may leave now."

Susie stood and walked out. Her nerves had been a wreck when she woke up. and now they were even worse.

"Alright, Paul. Bring in Mr. Spencer."


	9. Shawn

Shawn sat in front of the judges. This day was wearing him down, and he hadn't even started to answer questions. He hoped Susie was okay.

"Welcome, Mr. Spencer," said judge two, as if inviting Shawn to a party. "You're the last one. So let's get this going."

"Sounds good to me." said Shawn, trying not to make it obvious that he was wiping the sweat from his palms onto his jeans.

"Have you always wanted children, Mr. Spencer?"

Shawn paused. He'd never really thought about having kids. He'd never met the right woman. Shawn mentally shook the image of Juliet out of his mind. 'What was that?' he thought. "I suppose," he answered.

"You suppose?"

"Well, you don't start wanting kids from day one. But when it enters your mind, you realize that it's been there all along." 'That was one of the biggest bullshits I've pulled,' Shawn thought.

"Mr. Spencer, how is it you became associated with Ms. Morrison?"

"First, when she was leaving the police station after her mother called her in. And the next day, she came to the Psych office to ask for my help after she found her mom's boyfriend dead."

"And during this case, Ms. Morrison stayed at your father's house?"

"Yeah, I had to get her away from her mother."

"Why?"

"They hate each other. And her mom might have tried to kill Susie."

"How do you feel your father has accepted Ms. Morrison?"

"He lovers her. And she really likes him, too." Shawn said, not bothering to mention the fact that when Shawn had first taken her to his dad's house, Henry had thought that Shawn had gotten her pregnant.

The judges made a few notes. "How do you feel about Ms. Morrison living in the office?"

"If it's what she wants, I'm happy."

"Wouldn't you feel better if she were living with you in your apartment?"

'Yes. I'd have to do major cleaning, but still.' "I don't want to force her to do anything she doesn't want to."

"You are aware that Ms. Morrison goes over to your father's house to do laundry once a week?"

"Yes."

"And the two of you go to your father's house once a week for a 'family meal', correct?"

"Gus is there most weeks, too."

"And as a psychic, do you get 'good vibrations' from these meals?"

'What the hell kinda question is that?' Shawn asked himself. But it didn't take a psychic to see that everyone enjoyed those dinners. Shawn knew that Susie really felt like she had a family during them. She'd never said so to him, but a blind man could see the happiness on her face when she was sitting at that table. "Yes." Shawn said.

"And how are things financially, Mr. Spencer?"

"Business is good. We've got a case pretty much every week."

"And you have enough money to take care of Ms. Morrison?"

Shawn nodded. "I give her thirty dollars a week as a sort of allowance-slash-pay check."

"And that's enough for her to go from week to week?"

"Yes," Shawn said, thinking of the money he kept finding in the pockets of his pants and jackets. It had taken him awhile, but he'd figured out it was Susie, not luck, that was placing the money there. But he never let on or said anything.

"You know that if granted guardianship, you will be responsible for Ms. Morrison's medical bills, school fees, things like that?"

Shawn had never thought about it. "Yes." he said.

"What exactly does Ms. Morrison do for her job at your office?"

"Whatever needs to be done. She's a great asset to the team." Shawn said, using the phrase that Gus had told him to say.

"Would you ever use Ms. Morrison as a decoy?"

"She'd probably offer to do it if it was brought up."

"Would you allow her to do such work if it could put her in a dangerous position?"

"Hell no."  
The judges paused momentarily at Shawn's outburst, and then made note of it. "If something were to happen to Ms. Morrison during a case, would you do all you could to help her?"

'Duh?' "Of course."

"Mr. Spencer, are you aware that Ms. Morrison plans to continue working once school starts?"

'Are you aware that you guys jump from subject to subject?' Shawn thought. "I wasn't aware, but it's not abnormal for high school students to continue working during the school year."

"It's also not abnormal for students to fall behind on their school work when they have jobs."

"Susie's a smart girl. She'd know if her grades were slipping, and she'd tell me if she needed to concentrate more on school than Psych." At least, Shawn hoped she would. Susie was a proud girl. If her grades started slipping, she probably wouldn't tell anyone, she'd just work harder until she exhausted herself. Susie didn't like to drag others into her problems.

"Mr. Spencer, have you ever hit Ms. Morrison?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" Blacksprial asked.

"I think I'd remember."

"Have you ever found yourself sexually attracted to Ms. Morrison?"

"No."

"So, you're not in a sexual relationship with her?"

"Absolutely not."

"Do you drink, Mr. Spencer?"

"I have a beer every once and a while."

"What about drugs?"

"Only once in high school."

"Mr. Spencer, I want to tell you a little story," Blacksprial said.

"I'm listening," Shawn said.

"A young man goes to a bar. He's had a tough day at work. His best friend's ignoring him, and he hasn't had sex in a few days, due to his girlfriend breaking up with him." Shawn's eyes narrowed. Blacksprial continued. "The young man orders a beer. And then another. And another. And another. After a few hours, he stumbles from the bar stool to his car. He drives back to the office, where a young female worker is still working. He rapes her." Blacksprial leaned forward. "This story happens more than you know, Mr. Spencer."

Shawn's jaw clenched. "I would never touch Susie." He said. "And I don't get drunk."

"Are you sure, Mr. Spencer?"

"Are you calling me a liar?"

Blacksprial paused at the somewhat de ja vu, of the situation. "One last question, Mr. Spencer. Do you want to remain Ms. Morrison's guardian?"

"More than anything."

"Thank you. You may leave. We'll be out in a few minutes to talk to the group."

Shawn stood and left the room. He was furious at that judge for even _suggesting _that he'd hurt Susie.

The judges looked at each other, and began to compare notes.



When the judges came out, everyone was huddled together on the bench.

"As you all know, today has been a long day." Blacksprial said. "And there are only a few more things left to do. However, due to the time and schedules of the other judges and myself, our verdict will not be reached until tomorrow morning."

The group sitting on the bench sat silent. Blacksprial continued. "We have to go to the Psych office to see that it is fit for Ms. Morrison to live in. Under no circumstances are any of you allowed to go to the office until after the meeting tomorrow. Now, Mr. Spencer, if I may have the key to the office."

Shawn slowly reached into his pocket, knowing good and well that there was no key there. He didn't carry a key; that was Gus' job. And not having a key could make Shawn look irresponsible and lessen his chances of being guardian of Susie. He was quickly thinking of a way to stall when his fingers brushed a small object. He pulled it out; it was a key with a small pineapple keychain. It was Susie's. She must have just slipped it into his pocket.

Shawn placed the key into Blacksprial's outstretched hand. "Thank you," said the judge, his fingers closing around the metal key. "We'll resume this tomorrow at ten a.m. Good day." And with that, he turned on his heel and walked back down the hall, the other two judges following.

The group remained seated, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. This certainly wasn't what they had expected.

Henry broke the silence. "I've got food at my house for everyone," he said slowly. He'd been planning a celebratory lunch after the trial.

There was a murmur through the group. They stood up and walked towards the elevator. Susie's hand found its way into Shawn's. Nobody said anything on the ride down.


	10. Waiting

The group made their way to Henry's house. Once inside, Henry, the Chief, Juliet, and even Lassiter tried to take the attention from the trial by making new conversations. Shawn was about to leave the kitchen when he heard voices on the porch. He moved towards the window to hear better.

"So, what are you going to do for the night?" Monica asked.

"I don't know," Susie said. "Truth be told, I haven't been thinking about tonight."

Monica put her hand on Susie's shoulder. "We're gonna get through this." she said. "Do you want to stay over at my place?"

Susie shook her head. "I think it'd be best if I stayed with Shawn. You know, in case the judges…" But Susie didn't have a reason. She, Monica and Shawn knew that Susie wanted to stay with Shawn in case it was her last night to do so.

Monica nodded, taking no offense. "I'll run home and grab some of your stuff you left over there during the time your parents were fighting." She pulled Susie into a hug, and then headed down the walkway.

Shawn thought about going out to Susie, but decided against it. He was almost out of the kitchen when he ran into his dad.

"Hey," he said, in that somewhat uneasy manner of speaking guys are prone to use when hiding feelings.

"Where's Susie going to stay tonight?" Henry asked after a slight pause.

Shawn shook his head once. "Monica went to get some of Susie's things, but I haven't talked to her…"

"Stay here." Shawn looked at his father, unsure if he heard correctly. "You and Susie and Gus… stay here."

Shawn nodded, sure that he'd have to do major convincing to make Gus stay. "Thanks, dad." he said.

Half an hour later, Shawn realized that he hadn't seen Susie since they got here. He left the group in the living room and went to the kitchen, only to find it empty. He stepped onto the porch. He looked around and saw Susie sitting underneath a tree, staring at nothing in particular. A small duffle bag was beside her, the only evidence that Monica had returned. Shawn walked towards Susie and sat down next to her. The two were silent for a few moments.

"You haven't eaten anything." Shawn said.

"Not hungry." Susie said.

Shawn plucked a few pieces of grass out of the yard. "So," he said, clearing his throat a little. "We're all going to stay here tonight."

Susie turned her head. "We?"

"You and me and Gus. It's gonna be just like one big sleepover."

"And your dad's okay with this?"

"He suggested it."

Just then, Lassiter, Juliet and the Chief, along with Henry came out onto the porch. They three guests shook hands with the host and walked towards Shawn and Susie.

"Mr. Spencer," the Chief said, nodding at the two on the ground. "We'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, Chief." Shawn said, standing up.

"Don't worry," Juliet said. "I'm sure everything will be just fine." If only her voice sounded sure.

"Spencer." Lassiter said with a nod. Shawn's mouth twitched at the corner. He turned to watch the three get in their cars. Susie stood next to him, watching as the cars pulled out of the driveway.



Night had fallen upon Santa Barbara. There were blankets and pillows spread all over Henry's living room floor. Shawn, Gus, Susie and Henry sat in their pajamas, talking about everything and nothing. Even though the trial wasn't conversed, it was in the front of everyone's mind.

About 10:30, Susie stood up. "I think I'm going to go to sleep." she said. Henry had offered her Shawn's old room again, and she accepted. The three adults stood and gave Susie a hug. Then she padded up the stairs. They heard the door shut, and they were suddenly aware of the emptiness of the room now that Susie had left. And they all knew that their lives would always have a bigger emptiness if Shawn didn't win guardianship.

"Same here," said Henry, breaking the moment's silence. He nodded to Shawn and Gus, and went up to his room.

Shawn and Gus looked at each other. The night was going to drag by all too quickly.



Susie woke suddenly. She'd been having a strange dream, a nightmare really. It had been like the awful 90's movie 'The Dentist', but involved the three judges and… kangaroos. Susie shook her head. 'No more pineapple before sleeping,' she told herself. But she knew that it wasn't the pineapple that had caused the dream; it was the trial. And if they lost... the nightmares would never go away.

She looked at her cell phone. The black numbers read 12:04. She had time to fall back asleep before having to face the day. But she couldn't.

There was a slight knock on the door. Susie watched as it silently opened a bit. Shawn poked his head in. "Suze?" he whispered.

"Yeah?"

Shawn opened the door enough for him to get in, and then shut it. He walked over to the bed and asked "What are you doing up?"

"I could ask the same of you." Susie said.

Shawn turned the bedside lamp on and sat down on the bed. "Gus snores." he said simply.

The two were quiet for a few moments, both thinking, both knowing why the other was up. Finally, Shawn broke the silence.

"Susie," he said, his voice heavy with thought, choosing his words carefully. "We need to talk about… what we'll do if…." He needed not to finish his sentence. Susie knew exactly what he was talking about. She nodded, not trusting her voice to remain steady.

"If…. Things don't go how we want…." Shawn said, not wanting to say what might happen. "You'll go into the foster care system--"

"Which is stupid," Susie said, anger coming out instead of sadness. Shawn looked at her, waiting for her to continue, and give him a moment to collect himself so he wouldn't tear up. "I'm almost 17. The system only keeps you until you're 18. And who really wants to be foster parents to a 17 year old? They want the cute little babies and toddlers. So I'd be in for little over a year, and then what? Back to where I started."

Shawn thought about this. "I'd get my dad to take you from the system."

"They wouldn't let him, knowing his relation to you," Susie said. "Blacksprial'd make sure of that."  
Shawn ran a hand through his hair. "Then I guess Lassie would be out of the question, too."

Susie looked at Shawn. "Lassiter would never do that big of a favor for you."

Shawn shrugged, and the two were silent. It was Susie who broke it this time. "When I turned 18, I could… come back…" she said.

Shawn nodded once. "Yeah, that could work." he said slowly. But a year was a long time.

"Well," Shawn said after a few silent minutes. "You should get some sleep. Tomorrow's…."

Susie nodded, and curled herself under the sheet. Shawn stood and turned off the lamp. He looked down at Susie. He didn't want to lose her. Shawn quickly walked towards the door and left.

He pulled the door shut behind him and found his father standing next to him. Neither said a word. Henry had heard it all. He placed his hand on his son's shoulder. And then the two went back to their beds.

But as Shawn reached the last step, he turned towards the kitchen and went out to the porch. He sat on the edge and looked off into the night. He couldn't go back inside, not yet. Because the real reason he was awake was because when he was in the living room, he couldn't stop looking at the pictures on his dad's mantel. Susie had become a bigger part of this family then anyone had expected. And this family had already been torn apart when Shawn's mom left. And Shawn didn't think he could handle another split like that. None of them could.


	11. The Final Word

Shawn woke up the next morning on the porch. He must have dozed off last night. But someone had come out and covered him with his blanket from the living room. Gus was a heavy sleeper; Shawn had a feeling it had been Susie.

He got up and walked into the kitchen. Glancing at the clock, he saw he had almost two hours before they had to be at the courthouse. He set about making a pot of coffee.

Soon, Susie walked into the kitchen, already dressed. Shawn was surprised that she was up, let alone dressed, looking alert and somewhat nervous. "Hey," he said. "Sleep well?"

"Hardly." Susie said. "I've been up since… our conversation last night…."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't." Susie said, remembering her dream before Shawn had come in.

"So, if you've been awake this whole time, why do you look wide awake?"

"Makeup. That's how I always have that bright-eyed look in the morning." Susie said, sitting at the table.

Shawn rummaged around in the cabinets while Susie stared out the window. She only came back to reality when Shawn set a mug down in front of her. Curious, because Shawn knew she didn't like coffee, Susie peered into her cup. The contents were a light brown color. 'Maybe he added milk in hopes I'll drink it to be fully awake by the time we go to the courthouse.' Susie thought. She took a tentative sip and was pleasantly surprised by the taste of chocolaty goodness. She looked at Shawn, as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He looked at her over the rim through the steam, and both of them smiled.

"Thanks." Susie said.

"Thanks," said Shawn. "For the blanket."

"Well, I didn't think it'd look to responsible at the hearing if you'd caught pneumonia and died." Susie said.

There was a slight pause, both of them surprised at the fact that jokes could still be made at a time like this. Then both of them laughed slightly, and it felt so good.

Henry and Gus wandered in, and the group had a nice breakfast. Susie couldn't help but feel like she was eating a last meal. At 9:40, the group drove to the courthouse.

They met the Chief, Juliet, Lassiter and Monica at the same benches as the day before. They all sat, making nervous small talk. At ten sharp, Blacksprial and the other two judges walked down the hall.

The group got quiet fast. Blacksprial spoke. "If you'd all follow me." The group got up and followed the judges into a room. It looked very much like the room they'd all been in yesterday, except large enough for all eight to sit in front of the judges' table.

"As you know," Blacksprial said, once everyone was seated. "We went to the Psych office to see how Ms. Morrison's living conditions are. They were as follows." Blacksprial picked up a piece of paper and cleared his throat. "While there were no safety hazards, there were some other… concerns, if you will. The bed provided for Ms. Morrison is no more than a pull out couch. And the closet is the storage closet, still with office items in it. Ms. Morrison's belongings were still in boxes. The kitchen was hardly that, equipped with only a small refrigerator and a microwave. No stove was to be seen--"

"Because I don't have use for a stove." Susie said. Everyone in the room looked at her.

"And why is this?" Blacksprial asked, looking agitated at being interrupted.

"Because I'm a vegetarian. I don't have to cook meat. And if I ever did need an oven, for some dire reason, I could go over to Monica's or Mr. Spencer's."

"So, you'd rather be a bother to your friends than get a stove?"

"She's not a bother!" Henry said, resisting the urge to stand. "She's family, and if she needs a stove, then by God I'll be the first to offer."

"And Mr. Blacksprial, if you think the living conditions aren't picturesque, that's too damn bad." Shawn said. "They're pretty much what Susie'd have if she were staying in my apartment, minus the pull-out couch bed, the closet space. She'd have a sleeping bag and a corner to put her boxes."

"But what about the clients that come to your office wanting your services? That's no way for a child to live."

"I'm almost 17!"

"It's not like we have constant client traffic." Shawn said. "We're never open on Sundays, and our hours are 10-6 Monday thru Friday, 11-6 on Saturdays. That's hardly unreasonable."

"And it really doesn't bother me." Susie said.

"Enough!" Blacksprial said, quieting the group.

Shawn stood up. "No," he said. "I have something to say."

"Mr. Spencer, sit down."

"Shawn, please." Susie said, putting her hand on Shawn's arm. He looked at her, and then at the judges. "Look," he said. "Just hear me out."

The judges looked at Blacksprial, who looked angry, but said nothing. Shawn took a breath and began.

"If you don't grant me guardianship for some reason or another, Susie's gonna go into the foster care system, or an orphanage or whatever. But those programs only last until you're 18."

"So?" asked Blacksprial.

"So Susie'd stay there for little over a year. And then where would she be? She'd be a hell of a lot worse off than if she were with me."

"That's if she didn't get a family."

Shawn looked at Blacksprial. "How many people do you know who want to adopt a 17 year old? People want babies and little kids, the ones who they can mold to be just like them."

"There are some good Samaritans out there, Mr. Spencer."

Shawn shook his head. "Susie's a good kid. Hell, she's a great kid. But she's a handful, because she's already been raised by a family, and she has her own outlooks on life and such. She has the ways she does things, and not everyone likes that." Shawn paused, grasping for words. "She and I get along, because we have a connection. My dad and my best friend have told me that Susie's pretty much me in girl form. And there are moments when I find myself thinking 'that's something I'd do' at something Susie did." Shawn shook his head. "Here's the facts. I haven't done anything to harm Susie. And even though her 'living conditions' aren't as good as the King's chambers at Versailles, they're a hell of a lot better than the gutter. And--"

"Mr. Spencer."

"What?"

"You've got it."

The whole group joined Shawn in looking incredulously at the judge. "What?" asked Shawn, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

Blacksprial held out an official looking paper. "You're granted with guardianship of Ms. Morrison."

Shawn gently took the paper and looked at it. "But…."

"All it needs it your signatures."

"But… I… how…."

"Mr. Spencer, any doubts I may have had, you cleared up with your little outburst." Shawn looked at the judge. "The amount of passion in your… speech showed you really cared for Ms. Morrison. I've never seen anyone else with as much enthusiasm for their argument as you have just showed. She must really be special to you."

"She is, your honor." Shawn looked at Susie. "She's very special."



The group went out into the hall where everyone started hugging everyone else. Lassiter even patted Shawn on the shoulder, with just a little more force than necessary, perhaps.

"Not bad, Spencer."

"Thanks, Lassie."

"So, I guess this means I'll be seeing more of the two of you at the station."

"You know it."

"Great." Lassiter said, with only a small grimace.

Juliet came up and put her arms around Shawn's neck. "Congrats." she said.

"Thanks, Jules. It means a lot that you helped."

"Mr. Spencer." the Chief said with a nod as she held her hand out.

"Thank you, Chief."

The three police department workers left, as did Monica. Henry, Gus, Shawn and Susie remained. Henry and Susie hugged. "Welcome to the family." he said.

"Thanks." Susie said, her eyes glistening, but not allowing tears to fall.

Henry and Gus walked over to the elevator. Shawn looked at Susie, who threw her arms around his neck. The two stood there in their embrace, not wanting to let go. Neither could be happier. It was over, and they had won. And nothing could ruin that.


End file.
